Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a pungent sweet astringent, with stimulating, healing qualities. It stimulates a sluggish digestion, relives flatulence and spasms, and combats intestinal infection. It acts as a respiratory and circulatory stimulant, helping with rheumatic problems and chest infections. It helps to fortify the immune system against chills and infections, and has a cooling effects on fevers. Cinnamon also has antiseptic, antimicrobial, and parasiticidal properties, making it good for head lice, scabies, and other skin infections. Cinnamon can relieve mental fatigue improves poor concentration and nervous exhaustion and helps to lift depression. (source: The Encyclopedia of Healing Remedies) I also read once on the net, that cinnamon helps suppress hunger, a little sprinkle of cinnamon powder in your salad or a cup of cinnamon tea will do the job. I drink a cup for my sluggish digestive system, as for suppressing hunger, I can't be sure until after Ramadan ;)

NBK AD - The Australian Version

Kuwaiti Students in Australia taking on NBK's Eid Ad ;p So Cute!!! Wallah Shababna have a lot of charm and sense of humor! Allah ya7feth'hom inshallah :) NBK's original Eid Ad... The kids are so cute and can't get enough of it.

My Risotto

This Risotto is a favorite in my home. Fahad requests it for his birthday each year and the kids just love it. It is a bit heavey, but you can also use low fat ingredients such as light butter and if you're lucky to find low fat parmesan ;) Yesterday I only ate the risotto for my fotur and skipped the other food on the table, and for my suhoor I only had a green salad.

My Risotto which I made yesterday ;)

The ingrediants for a Milanese Risotto :

2 good pinches of saffron threads soaked in 3-4 Tbs of boiling water. 1 large onion, chopped finely 2 garlic cloves crushed 100g of butter 1 2/3 cup of Arborio rice 2/3 cup of white wine ( I used non alchohlic wine bought from Sultan) 5 cups of boiling stock (I used 2 low salt Maggie chicken stock cubes mixed them with the boiling water) 3/4 cup of parmesan cheese

** Quick tips: Sometimes I add sliced button mushrooms, or chicken cut in small chunks and cooked before frying the onions, then I add put it back with the chicken broth.

- Fry onions and garlic with 50g of butter until soft but not colored, then add the rice and continue to cook for few minutes until all grains are coated in oil and begin to color lightly. - Add wine to the rice and simmer gently, stirring from time to time until it is all absorbed. - Add the boiling stock a little at a time about 2/3 cup, cooking until the liquid is absorbed before adding more, and stirring frequently. - When all the stock is absorbed the rice should be tender but not soft and soggy. Add the saffron liquid, Parmesan, remaining butter.

I made this Risotto last Ramadan ;)

غطاوي

حباتنا ثلاثة و ثلاثين

مع ربعنا مستانسين

يفرونا شمال و يمين

وينكزونا بين الادينين

دعاء

ربي اني ظلمت نفسي فاغفر لي و ارحمني واغفر للمؤمنين و المؤمنات الاحياء و الأموات

Eid Scents...

Few months back I've posted about a new scent I'm addicted to, White Patchouli by Tom Ford. Still love it till this day. I passed AlJazira Perfumes and I found they are selling Tom Ford's perfumes. I bought me a new one and for my boys Grey Vetiver, which is an amazing amazing! perfume. Even the ladies can wear it, because it has this Arabic perfume scent to it.

This is the discription of the scent I got on the net : Tom Ford’s newest fragrance, Grey Vetiver was created for the man who is debonair, charismatic, and provocative. It is elegant, with a refined heart of natural vetiver, superbly blended with sun-drenched citrus, refined spices and prized woods.Notes of sage, warm wood, orange flower, grapefruit, orris, nutmeg, vetiver, amberwood, and oak moss comprise this fragrance.

Girl Talk

Warning! This is pure Girl Talk not that interesting for the guys ;)

Eid is getting close. Did you get your outfit? I didn't. I do have a couple of new outfits which I tried on yesterday, they were a bit tight. I get naturally bloated in Ramadan, as a doctor told me few years ago, it is a natural defense mechanism my body goes into when I'm fasting. Anywy I might still go and see if I can find something else which I'll feel more comfortable wearing, however I can't find a right time to go. Something always comes up whenever I want to go shopping, and I hate going out in the evenings, the crowd just puts me in a bad mood and no way do I shop when I'm in a bad mood. What's your ritual in preparing For Eid. Are you as crazy as I am? God! When it comes to special events, such as weddings, receptions and Eid, it takes me from 1 month to 3 days (at least) to prepare. I know it sounds crazy. Mashallah I know people yetajahzoon 7azat al 7aza w ma 3endhom mushkila…well not I. I need minimum three days, that is, if I already have an outfit and matching accessories to go with it. If not, just forget it. Come on ladies... you know what I mean, You'd rather die then being caught wearing an outfit more than twice for the same people. There are times, such as family weddings and events, when I find about them at the last minute, I just don't go. Few months back a family member got engaged and I've been asking when is the big day just to have an idea on when to prepare? It was at the beginning of my diet and I'm losing a lot of weight at the time, I wasn't ready to throw money on an outfit which will be big on me or something I wasn't convinced with just because I didn't have any idea when the wedding was and needed to have something ready in my closet. Anyway I find out a day before the event and not one but two parties! Which means I need not one but two dresses! Of course I was thrown in a panic because it was a close family member. Yes, a close member and I find out a day before the event. What kind of a wedding gets prepared in one day?(because the lame excuse I got was the grooms mother hasn't set a day for the wedding) Why did they wait until the last minute to tell me? Better use the KD1000 + I'll be throwing on dresses I won't like, on a short trip to Dubai or Bahrain. I did! On that same day I booked my ticket to Dubai and spent the best three days shopping, going to movies and trying new restaurants. I've side tracked from the main topic! Back to the rituals. What do you do? Salons, Nail spas, hair treatment, facials, body treatment and spas, crazy fad diets? For the past two weeks I've been treating my hair, because of hair loss, and the treatment is making my hair look a bit dull. Next week will be facial and a long appointment at the Spa and Hairdresser. Yes… I'm crazy. Women are crazy when it comes to their appearances. At least the ones I know are. How crazy are you?